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The Pantheon of the Kingdom of Ventorey
Ishtar, The Stone One The sounds of children's laughter echoed the mountain caves. Their parents had told them never to enter these parts of the Titan's Hearth, but what child would listen to their parents? As they played and explored, a soft hum went unnoticed by the children. Splashes of water in a small mountain river, and the sounds of scuffling and wrestling upon the hard stone floors. The hum grew louder, but went unnoticed once more. As the children ventured deeper, without quite knowing what they were doing at all, they took notice of the mountain's odd shapes. No longer were the walls jagged and rough, instead they were smooth and shaped. Cylindrical pillars began to line the walls, one set, two sets, three sets, as the children moved forward to investigate, they noticed at the base of each pedestal, words were written. Names, it seemed, and before the children could contemplate what this meant, the hum grew impossible to not hear, and the children stopped. They remembered their parents warnings. "The mountain is alive, do not venture into its depths, for that is the stomach of The Stone One." or perhaps, "The mountains are alive, do not venture along their peaks, for they are the arms of The Stone One." or maybe even, "The mountains are alive, and no matter where you are within them, remember. You have ventured within The Stone One." The children listened to the loud hum. It pierced their very minds, ripping their consciousness away and leaving their bodies limp and lifeless. The mountain shook for a moment, and as the bodies lay dead on the ground, the pillars began to shift. They moved to allow for more pillars to form between them, four more molded by the stone almost instantly. Each with a name at the pedestal. Each for the loss of a child. Ishtar, The Stone One, is the Guardian and King Deity of the Ventorey Pantheon. At creation he emerged from the earth, and witnessed the rise and fall of mortal races before him. These events saddened him at times, while providing substantial entertainment at others. He vowed to protect these mortal races, if only for his own interests. He took up residence inside the Titan's Hearth, claiming the entire mountain range as his body. Now, those who wish to worship him simply must venture across or within the mountains, and pray for safe passage all the while. During the Wars Prior however, Ishtar saw his source of entertainment threatened. He witnessed the mortal races do unspeakable things to each other. And as the Wars raged on, he believed he must put an end to it himself. In a fantastical display, He rose. With him, the Titan's Hearth stood, shaking the world itself with every step he took. As he moved towards The Center, he had an idea. There would be no threat to the mortals he cherished if they were isolated. He dug his hands into the earth, and split the continent of Ventorey from the mainland, sending it adrift entirely from the rest of the world. Ea, The Trickster :::::::::: Who is to say you are alone when in the Wilds? :::::::: '' Who is to say you have your legs, your eyes, or your ears, Hm?'' ::::::: '' And what is to say that your life is not forfeit, should it fall into my hands?'' :::::::::: Tricks and Games, whats life without a little fun? '' :::::::: '' I'll answer with this: Whats your life when I don't have any fun? '' ::::::: '' Gone, is the answer, but back it will be should your death entertain... Vinasi, King of Thorns All is fair In War For who could stand against such a duo Or the Thorns and his mighty revenge In Love But should one act alone 'Fair' would be the least of your concerns Kale, Queen of the Rose In Love The world trembles at the sight of the two The Rose and her sweet scent All is fair In War Yes, should one act alone 'Fair' would be the least of your concerns Nyxum, The First Moon "ALL ABOARD! ALL WHO WISH TO BOARD THE WIDOW'S FERRY, PRESENT YOUR TICKETS AND BOARD AT ONCE" The yells and cries of soldiers and civilians alike boarding the vessel rang loudly through the port. Ventoran merchants had fallen victim to piracy lately, and the country feared civilian vessels to be next. They had decided to go under cover of night, rather than risk the broad day's spotlight. With many fearful of a simple journey to the Center, the soldier's best were set to prevent any further attacks. "HER MAJESTY'S SHIP WILL NOW DEPART, LAST CALL FOR ANY WHO WISH TO BOARD" Men and women wave their tickets in the air, forcing their way to the lines front. A ship carrying visitors, true, but many were settlers, meant to push the frontier of the Ventoran lands. Promised lands and gold awaited them. As they board, a woman weaves her way through the crowds, dressed simply and modestly in all black, a veil covering her face. It was custom to have one aboard all ships in this region, especially those bearing the name of such a Goddess. Good luck, many thought, however the presence of such a tragic spirit often unnerved passengers. Regardless, the Widow of the Vessel was treated with utmost care, given quarters far separate from crew and passenger, for she was the only reason that the protection of the night may fall upon them. With so much danger on the waters, any amount of protection was welcomed..... As the storm raged, the battle followed suit. Many men fell in the light of the moon, and many more stained their hands with blood in the dark of the night. The pirates raged through the deck, setting the ship a blaze and delving deeper into the quarters of the upper decks. There they found a door. Upon opening, they found a woman. Dressed in all black, a veil covering her face. As the pirates thought, simply bringing their minds to the idea of defiling her, their vision brightened. Their vision brightened more, distracting them from thought. The Widow still sat at her bed, motionless, her pose almost that of a statue. Their vision brightened some more, distracting them from feeling. Finally, their vision brightened last, distracting them from Life. Where does one go when distracted from the very thing they exist to do? As their bodies drop, their faces had contorted to a sorrowful grimace. A single tear leaving their eye. When losing that which you are born for, you naturally go to grieve. And Grief can be a terrible thing.